Best Practices for Policing Gangs: Getting Ahead of Gang Problems

A conference for law enforcement executives & local government leaders

What:	A critical look at what works, what doesn’t and what’s promising
When:	May 12-13, 2008
Where:	McKimmon Center, Raleigh, NC

A Regional Symposium hosted by:
Public Safety Leadership Initiative at NC State
NC Department of Justice
Governor's Crime Commission
Raleigh Police Department

North Carolina lawmakers in 2007 appropriated nearly $5 million to combat street gang violence in the state – an action precipitated by a perceived crisis in gun violence attributed to an increasing number of street gangs and gang members.

Local law enforcement agencies in North Carolina are the focus of rising political pressure and public concerns about violent crime and gangs. How do police and sheriff’s balance political pressures, public concerns and media hyperbole with law enforcement practices and resources?

Law enforcement agencies across the nation have been charged with exaggerating gang problems to attract funding while others have been criticized for being “in denial” and failing to respond sufficiently to emerging gang problems.

But what exactly are the best practices for law enforcement agencies to respond to gang problems?

 

• How many gangs and gang members are there?
• How many crimes do gang members commit?
• How important is graffiti to gang problems?
• Should specialized gang units be established?
• Should gang detectives be assigned? And are there important distinctions in investigating gang crimes?
• How do we know if law enforcement efforts to address gang problems are effective?
• What do we tell parents who are worried about their children joining gangs?
• How do we communicate with the media and the public without feeding panic?

These and other critical questions about gangs and crime will be the focus of a two-day conference in Raleigh, NC.